Wheel stop for railway cars



O 22, 1957 B. A. ZIKMUND ET AL I 2,81 5

WHEEL STOP FOR-RAILWAY (ms 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16. 1956 INVENTORS,

Oct. 22, 1957 B. A. ZIKMUND ET AL 2,810,354

WHEEL STOP FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV NT EMQ 4% fi, I @fiwu *A Patented Get. 22, 1957 WHEEL STOP FOR RAILWAY CARS Bohumil A. Zikmund, Munster, and Marion C. Wilson, Hammond, Ind., assignors to Calumet Steel Castings Corporation, Hammond, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 604,538

7 Claims. (Cl. 104258) The present invention relates to wheel stops for railroad rolling stock, and particularly, to improved stop means to be detachably associated with the rails as a safety device for preventing movement of the cars beyond a given location.

Wheel stops of the general character defined are known in the art and it is an object of the present invention to provide improved wheel stops of greater effectiveness, economy, simplicity and convenience and wider application than those heretofore proposed.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved wheel stop for detachable association with a rail consisting of only three parts, namely a stop memher to be mounted on and guided by the rail and a pair of clamp members, preferably identical, including cooperable base portions to be extended beneath the rail and detachably united, the two clamps when united defining generally a loop encircling the rail and including portions engaging the stop member and positively retaining the same on the rail.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved identical clamp members for the wheel stop defined including base portions to be extended beneath the rail and pivotally connected thereunder in a highly convenient manner, intermediate lug portions engageable with the stop member to retain the same in fixed position on the rail, and handle portions having detachable locking means thereon for locking the two clamp members together.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved wheel stop as defined including a stop member having depending side plates engageable with the opposite sides of the rail to guide the stop member thereon, the side plates having inclined upper surfaces engageable by said lugs on said clamp members and adapted to be forced into wedged engagement under said lugs to retain the stop member in fixed position on the rail.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved stop member as defined including an arcuate front face formed on the arc of approximately a quarter circle of about the same diameter as a car wheel for positively preventing movement of the car past the stop, and at the same time to provide said stop member in an economical conveniently handled form.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an, improved wheel stop as defined wherein each of the three components of the stop constitutes a unitary metal casting of particular economy.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of making and using our improved wheel stops, we shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of our wheel stops, and preferred manners of making and using the same.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure l is a side elevation of the wheel stop of the invention as applied to a rail in engagement with a car wheel, the wheeland rail being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the wheel stop shown in Figure l, the view being taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top view, partly in section and partly in plan, of the wheel stop showing particularly the locking means provided on the clamp handle, the view being taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom view of the wheel stop showing particularly the cooperable base portions of the clamps shown in Figures 1 to 3, the view being taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the clamp member of the invention;

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the clamp of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the base portion of the clamp of Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the base portion of the clamp taken substantially on lines 88 of Figures' and 7.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to 4, the wheel stop of the present invention is shown as associated with a railroad car wheel W which rides on a conventional I-beam rail R supported on the road bed by ties T to which the rail is secured in the customary manner. Our improved wheel stop comprises a stop member 10 resting on the rail for engagement with the car wheel and a pair of clamp members 12 and 14 which engage about the rail and clamp the stop member thereto.

The stop member 10 preferably comprises a unitary steel casting including an arcuate front face 16, a base 18, a reenforcing web 20 and a pair of side plates 22. The front face 16 of the stop is preferably of a height equal approximately to the radius of the wheel W to extend from the rail to substantially the horizontal plane of the wheel axis, of a width equal approximately to the width of the rail, and of a thickness to withstand engagement therewith of the wheel of a loaded freight car. The face is formed on the are generally of a quarter circle of a diameter equal approximately to the diameter of a new Wheel, whereby the arcuate face is adapted to be engaged uniformly over a large area by one wheel of useable rolling stock, thus to prevent the wheel and car from over-running the stop. Actually, of course, the arc of the face 16 is somewhat less than a quarter circle, and the face adjacent its lower end is curved rearwardly to merge with the base 13. The base 18 extends rearwardly from the front face 16 preferably to an extent to define generally an isosceles triangle. The base, like the face, is preferably of a width equal substantially to that of the rail, but may suitably be of thinner section than the face. The web 21) is in the form generally of an isosceles triangle to extend between and rigidify the face 16 and base 18, the web being thinner than the face and extending along the centerline of the stop. At the juncture of the base and face, a hole 24 is preferably provided in the web for stress relief. Also, along its rearward edge adjacent the upper end thereof, the web 20 is provided with a slot 26 to serve as a hand hold facilitating carrying of the stop. The side plates 22 are preferably located at the rearward extremities of the base 18 and include portions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the base. The downwardly extending portions of the side plates are spaced apart to an extent slightly greater than the width of the rail, and the upper surfaces of the upwardly extending portions are inclined downwardly and rearwardly at a low angle of inclination relative to the face 16 and base 18 to define wedge surfaces 28.

In use, the stop member 10 is placed upon a rail with its base 18 resting on the rail and its side plates 22 engaging the opposite sides of the rail to prevent lateral displacement of the stop. The stop is disposed on the rail between two of the rail ties at a location beyond which railroad cars are not to travel, for example, adjacent the ends of the rails, in advance of a removed or damaged section of track, at the location in which one or more cars are to be spotted, on inclined rails at loading and unloading stations, in repair shops, and so on.

To fix the stop member at a given location on the track, the clamp members 12 and 14 are engaged with the track and the, member 10. The members 12 and 14 are preferably identical and each preferably comprises a unitary steel casting. In the two embodiments of clamp members disclosed herein, each clamp member comprises a generally "ertical member or bar 30, a laterally extending base 32, a laterally extending intermediate lug 34 and a laterally extending upper handle 36, the base and lug being spaced apart by a distance greater than the height of the rail and the handle being spaced upwardly from the lug. In practice, we prefer that the bars 30 be inclined upwardly and inwardly relative to the lateral projections 32, 34 and 36, for purposes of economy and increased rigidity, which configuration is accommodated by the rail R as is shown in Figure 2.

Each handle 36, as shown in Figures 3, and 6, is of a length to extend beyond the vertical center line of the rail and is provided at one face thereof with locking means 38 in the form preferably of an integrally east locking lug or projection 40 having a reentrant inner face located centrally above the rail, and a recess 42 of a size larger thanthe lug or projection located immediately inwardly of the projection. As thus formed, two identical handles are adapted to be locked to one another in opposed overlapping side by side relation by interengagement of the projections 40 thereon, the projections respectively being received in the recess 42 in the other handle.

The intermediate lug 34 of each clamp is of a length to extend over the adjacent side plate 22 of the stop member but does not extend to the vertical centerline of the rail. The main portion of the lug 34 is preferably cylindrical and the lower surface thereof is spaced from the upper surface of the base 32 by a distance intermediate the maximum and minimum vertical spacings between the base of the rail and the wedge surfaces 28 of the side plates 22, whereby the lug is adapted for wedging engagement with the side plate in the manner to be described. At its free end, the lug 34 preferably includes a depending lip or projection 44 adapted to overlie the inner side of a side plate 22 to guide the lug and clamp member relative to the stop member 10.

The base 32- of the clamp member is disclosed herein in two embodiments, the essential features of both being accommodation for insertion under the rail and the inclusion of means for detachably connecting the bases of two clamping members under the rail. As shown in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, the base may comprise an elongate member 46 of a length greater than the width of the base of the rail provided at its free outer end with an upwardly extending lip 48 for engagement with the far side of the base of the rail, i. e., the side opposite that to which the vertical member 30 is disposed, the lip 48 and member 30 thus retaining the clamp on the rail against inadvertent lateral displacement. Immediately to one side of the centerline of the rail, each base is provided with a longitudinally extending integral hookor hook-like projection 50. To the opposite side of the centerline of the rail, the base includes a cylindrical portion 52 of a diameter complementary to the hook, the portion 52 preferably extending from the hook to the free end of the base. By virtue of the hook construction, two identical bases, disposed in parallel opposed relation, are adapted to be pivotally connected by engagement of the hook on each with the cylindrical portion of the other.

In use, with the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 to 4, one clamp is disposed to one side of the rail and the base thereof is inserted beneath the rail until the lip 48 thereof protrudes to the opposite side. If the stop is to be set at a location where road bed ballast is filled in to the base of the rail, 2. small amount of ballast is removed to accommodate insertion beneath the rail of the base 34. When one clamp is associated with the rail, an identical clamp is disposed to the opposite side of the rail and the base thereof is inserted in the same manner beneath the rail in parallel relation to the first base. The two bases are then united by means of their hooks 50, whereupon the upper portions of the clamp members may be pivoted on portions 52 toward one another to bring the handles thereof into abutting engagement. The handles are then squeezed together to engage the locking projections 40 thereof, whereupon the two clamps comprise a loop encircling the rail. The lips 48 and the vertical portions 30 retain the clamp members and each of them in aligned relation on the rail with the lugs 34 disposed above and to opposite sides of the rail.

The lugs 34 are preferably aligned axially with one another and to effect alignment in the embodiment described, the portion of the rod 30 of each clamping member between the base and lug thereof is angularly related to the portion between the handle and lug, as is shown in Figure 1.

When the two clamping members are united about the rail, with the bases thereof disposed between two adjacent ties at a suitable location along the track, the stop member 10 is placed upon the rail in the manner previously described with the face thereof disposed in the direction from which a car is to approach and the rearward end of the base thereof facing toward the clamp members. As will be apparent from the preceding description, the stop member may be disposed to either side of the united clamp members, so long as the rearward portion of the base faces toward the clamps. When the stop member has been set upon the rail, the clamp members are raised by the joined handles thereof to move the base portions 32 into engagement with the lower side of the rail, whereupon the stop member is slid rearwardly on the rail to move the side plates 22 under the lugs 34. As the skid plates 22 are moved under the lugs, the inclined surfaces 28 thereof engage the lugs and are forced into wedged engagement therewith to fix the stop member to the rail. Any force thereafter exerted on the face of the stop member will effect more firm engagement of the side plates with the lugs, more firmly to secure the stop member to the rail.

In the completed assembly, the side plates 22 guide the, stop member 10 on the rail, the lips 44 on the lugs 34 align the clamp members on the side plates, and the lips 48 on the bases 34 guide the clamp members on the rail. Thus, the entire assembly is accurately aligned on and fixed to the rail. The stop member 10 projects upwardly from the rail to approximately the axle of the car wheel positively to stop the wheel and car at the location of the member. Even if the car wheel should engage the stop while the car is moving at a fair rate of speed, the stop will prevent the car from traveling any further than the location at which the stop is set. In the event that a loaded freight car should engage the stop at'high speed, the stop member tends to wedge itself more firmly in the clamps and the clamps tend to pivot about the bases thereof to secure an even tighter fit on the rail, to stop the car without damage to the rail or stop. In some instances, the load imposed on the stop may be so excessive as to result in some shdrng of the stop, but the clamp members then would engage the ties to mitigate against further sliding.

From the foregoing, it is to be appreciated that the portions of the clamping members subjected to strain are the lugs 34, bases 32 and the portions of the vertical rods 30 therebetween. These portions of the clamps are therefore made of heavy section to withstand the loads to be imposed thereon, while the handles, for the sake of economy and weight saving, are made of smaller section.

The stop, after use at a given location, is readily removed from the rail generally in the order reverse to the described assembly of the stop upon the rail. The stop consists solely of three members and is readily transported from place to place for repeated use according to demand. Each of the three parts comprises a unitary casting of relatively simple formation requiring no machining or finishing operations. The economy of the same is therefore obvious, as are the simplicity, convenience and wide area of application of the stop of our invention.

Referring now to Figures to 8, a preferred base construction for the clamping members is there disclosed as comprising axially aligned means of heavier section than the bases above described. With the exception of the base construction, and eliminaton of the angular offset between the upper and lower portions of the rods 30, which elimination results from alignment of the two bases, the clamp member shown in Figures 5 to 8 is the same as has been described above. In its preferred form, the base 32 comprises a cylindrical portion 60 extending laterally inward from the rod 30, a reduced parti-cylindrical extension 62 thereof, and a helical tooth 64 carried by the extension 62, the tooth in part being defined by a recess 66 in the extension 62 and having a complete arcuate extent of about 180 degrees. The base as thus formed is of a length to extend slightly beyond the center line of the rail, the tooth having its midpoint at the centerline of the rail and having portions of equal length from the centerline to the outer end of the base and from the centerline to the cylindrical portion 60 of the base. The extension 62 preferably has an arcuate extent of about 135 degrees and the recess 66 therein defines approximately the inner half of the tooth 64.

In use of the embodiment of the clamp shown in Figures 5 to 8, two clamps are disposed to opposite sides of the rail in the manner previously described and the base portions thereof are inserted beneath the rail, the members being manipulated by hand to mesh the teeth 64 whereafter the two members may be rotated approximately 60 degrees relative to one another to interlock the teeth 64 and to align the lugs and handles of the two clamps. In such position, the outer end of each tooth 64 engages in and abuts against the end of the recess 66 in the other base positively to unite and align the clamping members. After the two handles have been locked together, the clamps may be employed in conjunction with the stop member 10 in the same manner as previously described. In the resultant assembly, the base member disclosed in Figures 5 to 8 afford the advantages of extremely sturdy construction and positive definition of an axis about which the clamp members may pivot as the side plates 22 are wedged under the lugs 34 to lock the stop tightly to the rail. The preferred base construction also affords economies in casting in that angular offset of the side rod 30 is not required, the length of the base is decreased, the diameter is increased to facilitate uniform casting and the projecting lugs are eliminated. In both embodiments of the base, the two clamping members are identical, further to reduce production cost.

From the foregoing, it is to be appreciated that the present invention provides improved wheel stops for railroad cars consisting solely of three parts, each an economical, integral, unmachined casting, that are conveniently associated with and detached from the rail, yet positively prevent movement of railroad cars beyond a given loca tion at which the stop is set.

While we have shown and described what we regard to be preferred embodiments of our invention, it will be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the ap% pended claims.

We claim:

1. In a wheel stop for railway cars having a stop member to rest on the upper surface of the rail and clamp means for securing the stop member to the rail, the improvement comprising, as the clamp means, a pair of upstanding clamp members separate of one another and disposed to opposite sides of the rail in opposed relation, each of said clamp members being integral and comprising an upright body portion of a height to extend from the bottom of the rail to above the upper surface of the rail, a horizontal base portion of a length greater than one-half the width of the rail extending transversely from one side of the body portion toward the rail and a horizontal lug extending transversely from the same side of said body portion at a point above the upper surface of the rail, said base portions being insertable under the rail from the respective sides thereof with the respective body portions in a substantially upstanding position and including cooperable means for detachably connecting the two base portions together under the rail, said lugs extending to and including portions cooperable with the stop member for securing the stop member to said clamp members and thus to the rail.

2. In a wheel stop as set forth in claim 1, said clamp members each including a horizontallock portion of a length greater than one-half the width of the rail extending transversely from the same side of said body portion and in upwardly spaced relation to said lug, said lock portions including cooperable means for detachably connecting said lock portions together above the rail for locking said clamp members together to fix said members to the rail. p

3. A wheel stop for railroad cars comprising a stop member including an upwardly extending front face for engagement with the wheel, a base extending rearwardly from said face to rest on the rail and side plates on said base including depending portions for engagement with opposite sides of the rail, said stop member adjacent the rearward end and on the upper surface thereof including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined wedge surface, and a pair of clamp members to be disposed in opposed relation on opposite sides of the rail for locking said stop member to the rail, said clamp members each comprising a generally vertical bar of a height greater than the rail, a laterally extending base, a laterally extending intermediate lug and an upper handle, the bases of said clamp members being insertable under the rail and including complementary locking means detachably connecting said bases together under the rail, said lugs extending over and engaging said wedge surface of said stop member when said bases are connected, said handles including complementary means for detachably locking said clamp members together, said clamp members when locked together defining a loop encircling the rail, said stop member being slidable rearwardly on the rail to wedge said wedge sur face thereof into locking engagement under said lugs.

4. A wheel stop for railroad cars comprising a stop member including an upwardly extending front face for engagement with the wheel, a base extending rearwardly from said face to rest on a rail and side plates on said base including depending portions for engagement with opposite sides of the rail, said stop member adjacent the rearward end and on the upper surface thereof including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined wedge surface, and a pair of clamp members to be disposed in opposed relation on opposite sides of the rail for locking said stop member to the rail, said clamp members each comprising a generally vertical bar of a height greater than the rail, a laterally extending generally cylindrical base, a laterally extending intermediate lug and an upper handle, the bases of said clamp members being insertable under the rail and including complementary locking means for detachably connecting said bases together under the rail in axially aligned relation, said lugs extending over and engaging said wedge surface of said stop member in axially aligned relation when said bases are connected, said handles including complementary locking means for detachably locking said clamp members together, said clamp members when locked together defining a loop encircling the rail with said cylindrical bases engaging the lower surface of the rail, said stop member being slidable rearwardly on the rail and said clamp members being pivoted about the axis of said bases to wedge said wedge surface into locked engagement under said lugs.

5. A wheeled stop for railroad cars consisting of a stop member and a pair of clamp members, said stop member comprising a unitary metal casting having an arcuate front face for engagement with the wheel, said face comprising generally a quarter circle of substantially the same diameter as the wheel and being of a height equal approximately to the radius of the wheel, a base extending rearwardly from said face for engagement with the upper surface of a rail, the width of said face and base being equal approximately to the width of the rail, a generally triangular reenforcing web extending between said face and base, and a pair of side plates to opposite sides of said base adjacent the rearward end thereof, said side plates having portions depending from said base for en- I gagement with the opposite sides of the rail and portions extending upwardly from said base the upper surfaces of which are inclined downwardly and rearwardly at a low angle of inclination, said clamp members being identical and each comprising a unitary metal casting including a generally vertical bar having a laterally extending base, a laterally extending intermediate lug and a laterally extending upper handle, the spacing between the upper surface of said base and the lower surface of said lug being of a length intermediate the maximum and minimum vertical distances between the base of the rail and the upper surface of said side plates, said clamp members being disposed to opposite sides of the rail in opposed relation to one another with the bases thereof inserted beneath the rail, said bases including complementary means accommodating connection thereof upon relative pivotal movement of said clamp members, said clamp members being pivotally movable to connect said bases, to engage said lugs with the upper surfaces of said side plates and to dispose said handle portions adjacent one another, each of said lugs including a depending lip at its free end disposed to the inside of the respective side plate, said handle portions being of a length to extend in parallel abutting relation above the rearward portion of said stop member and having complementary projections on the adjacent faces thereof, said projections having reentrant endfaces for interlocking engagement detachably to unite the clamp members, said stop member being slidable on the rail to wedge said side plates under said lugs to fix said members to the rail.

6, A wheel stop as set forth in claim 5, said base of each clamp member being of a length greater than the width of the base of the rail and including an upwardly extending lip at its free end for engagement with the far side of the rail, said base having an integral hook thereon extending longitudinally of the rail to one side of the centerline of the rail and having a cylindrical portion to the opposite side of the centerline of the rail, the bases of the two clamping members being connected upon relative pivotal movement of said clamp members by engagement of the hook on each with the cylindrical portion on the other.

7. A wheel stop as set forth in claim .5, said base of each clamping member being of a length slightly greater than one-half the width of the base of the rail and including adjacent its free end an extension carrying a helical tooth of about 180 degrees in arcuate extent, said bases of the two clamping members being pivotally connected in axially aligned relation by rotary engagement of said teeth, said lugs being aligned axially and said handles engaging one another in the engaged position of said teeth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,938 Posentrup Aug. 11, 1931 1,847,792 Stewart Mar. 1, 1932 1,900,232 Ekholm Mar. 7, 1933 2,737,125 Hayes Mar. 6, 1956 2,762,314 Hayes Sept. 11, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Railway Age (article), February 25, 1957, page 48. 

